Continuities and Divergences Between Ibn Khaldun, Giambattista Vico, August Comte, Ludwig Gumplowicz, and Emile
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EXAMINING THE ORIGINS OF SOCIOLOGY: CONTINUITIES AND DIVERGENCES BETWEEN IBN KHALDUN, GIAMBATTISTA VICO, AUGUST COMTE, LUDWIG GUMPLOWICZ, AND EMILE DURKHEIM Mehmet Soyer, B.A. Thesis Prepared for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2010 APPROVED: Dale Yeatts, Major Professor Mahmoud Sadri, Committee Member Emile Sahliyeh, Committee Member Sandra L.Terrell, Interim Chair of the Department of Sociology Thomas L. Evenson, College of Public Affairs and Community Service Michael Monticino, Dean of the Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies Soyer, Mehmet. Examining the Origins of Sociology: Continuities and Divergences between Ibn Khaldun, Giambattista Vico, August Comte, Ludwig Gumplowicz, and Emile Durkheim. Master of Science (Sociology), May 2010, 49 pp., references, 89 titles. This thesis examines the extent to which Ibn Khaldun can legitimately be considered a founding father of sociology. To pursue this research, Khaldun’s theoretical framework will be compared with four Western scholars: Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Giambattista Vico, and Ludwig Gumplowicz. This paper begins with an Introduction (Chapter I), followed by a general overview of Khaldun’s work (Chapter II). Next, Khaldun’s work is compared to that of Auguste Comte (Chapter III), Emile Durkheim (Chapter IV), Ludwig Gumplowicz (Chapter V) and Giambattista Vico (Chapter VI). In each of these chapters, Khaldun is compared and contrasted to the other social theorist, illustrating their similarities and considering their differences. Finally, in Chapter VII, I put forth conclusions that consider the extent to which Khaldun can validly be considered a founding father of sociology. Copyright 2010 by Mehmet Soyer ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to offer thanks to my committee: Professor Mahmoud Sadri, Professor Dale Yeatts, and Professor Emile Sahliyeh. Furthermore, I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Rudy Ray Seward and Professor Lynne Cossman for providing me necessary and invaluable guidance and advice. I benefited from their knowledge and experience while working on this manuscript. I alone am responsible for any shortcomings. I would like to thank my wife, Gonca, for her support and encouragement during this stressful time. Moreover, I would like to thank Paul A. Gilbert, Jr., and his mother, Rita Gilbert, for editing this thesis. Furthermore, my thanks go out to our families for their valuable support. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES...................................................................................................... v CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER II: OVERVIEW OF IBN KHALDUN’S WORK ..................................................................... 4 CHAPTER III: A COMPARISON OF THE WORKS OF IBN KHALDUN AND GIAMBATTISTA VICO ........ 9 CHAPTER IV: A COMPARISON OF THE WORKS OF IBN KHALDUN AND AUGUSTE COMTE ........... 16 CHAPTER V: A COMPARISON OF THE WORKS OF IBN KHALDUN AND LUDWIG GUMPLOWICZ ... 23 CHAPTER VI: A COMPARISON OF THE WORKS OF IBN KHALDUN AND EMILE DURKHEIM .......... 31 CHAPTER VII: CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 41 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................. 45 iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Page Table 1: Khaldunian Rural and Urban Society Typology ............................................................ 35 Figure 1: The relationship between dynastic stages and lifestyle ................................................. 8 v CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Akbar Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, noted: Bin Laden is a household name in the West, where, unfortunately, the names of important Muslim scholars are less well known. When I talked of Ibn Khaldun, Americans usually ask: Who is he? An oil sheikh? An Arab minister? Another “terrorist”? Any links to Bin Laden? Even the scholars who have heard of Ibn Khaldun may well ask: How is he relevant to problems of the twenty-first century? (2003, p. 213) Yet, earlier generations of social thinkers contended that Khaldun was a founder of sociology (Kremer, 1879; Flint, 1893: 158ff.; Gumplowicz, 1928: 90–114; Maunier, 1913; Oppenheimer, 1922–35, Vol. II: 173ff.; Vol. IV, 251ff.; Ortega y Gasset, 1976–8). Sorokin, Zimmerman, and Galphin believed Khaldun to be an historian, statesman, sociologist, and the “founder of sociology.” They noted that Khaldun described the transformation of Arabian society from badawa (rural society) to hadara (urban society), and analyzed this transition (Alatas, 2006). Harry Barnes and Howard Becker stated in their book Social Thought: From Lore to Science that “The first writer after Polybius (203–120 BC), then, to apply the equivalents of modern ideas in historical sociology was not a European” (1952, p. 266); they devoted substantial discussion to Khaldun’s ideas that are relevant to social science. By doing so, Barnes and Becker identified Khaldun as the first scholar who applied modern ideas to historical sociology and so, from their point of view, saw him as a founder of sociology. Unfortunately, until the 19th century, Khaldunian sociology was unknown to Western scholars. From the middle of the 19th century, Western scholars commenced studying Khaldun and his social theories with astonishment and admiration. Khaldun developed numerous social theories treated a century later by Machiavelli, and some three or four centuries later by Giambattista 1 Vico, Charles de Montesquieu, Adam Smith, and Auguste Comte. After discovering and studying Khaldun, Western scholars began considering him a philosopher, an historian of civilization, and a scholar of sociology and political economy (Enan, 1979). Khaldun wrote the Muqaddimah, Historical Prolegomenon (1377) in the 14th century, centuries prior to the systematic development of Western sociology. In this prominent work, Khaldun discussed scientifically the fundamental problems of what would be called modern sociology: the evolution of less-developed societies to advanced societies. Significant portions of Khaldun’s work seem to be quite modern for his historical period (Sorokin, 1947). Historically, it has been acknowledged that Khaldun made contributions to modern sociology; however, both his concepts and methods need examination, analysis and placement in their proper context vis-à-vis contemporary social science. This thesis examines the extent to which Khaldun can legitimately be considered a founding father of sociology. To pursue this contention, Khaldun’s theoretical framework will be compared with four Western scholars: Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Giambattista Vico, and Ludwig Gumplowicz. These prominent Western scholars were chosen for particular reasons. Auguste Comte was selected as he is often regarded as the founder of sociology. Durkheim was selected because of his position as founder of modern sociology and sociological methodology. Vico was chosen because he is generally regarded as the founder of the modern philosophy of history and Gumplowicz was selected because of his position as the founder of conflict sociology. The paper begins with an Introduction (Chapter I), followed by a general overview of Khaldun’s work (Chapter II). Next, his work is compared to that of Auguste Comte (Chapter III), Emile Durkheim (Chapter IV), Ludwig Gumplowicz (Chapter V) and Giambattista 2 Vico (Chapter VI). In each of these chapters, Khaldun is compared and contrasted to the other social theorist, illustrating their similarities and considering their differences. Finally, in Chapter VII, I put forth conclusions that consider the extent to which Khaldun can validly be considered a founding father of sociology. 3 CHAPTER II OVERVIEW OF IBN KHALDUN’S WORK Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) investigated theories of society, the basis of sovereignty or asabiyah (social solidarity), and the rise and fall of states. Born in Tunis, Tunisia, where his parents died of the plague in 1349, Khaldun spent most of his life in North Africa and Spain. His family’s Andalusian origin suggests that his Spanish background provided Khaldun a different perspective, and unique from the Muslim mainstream in Northwest Africa and the East (Alatas, 2006). Khaldun is one of the most significant figures in the history of the Muslim world (Enan, 1979). The reputation of the Muqaddimah as a significant work has brought Khaldun much attention. Khaldun taught his theories on society, the basis of sovereignty or asabiyah, the rise and fall of states, and other subjects presented in the Muqaddimah. Khaldun described social phenomena and situated them in the flow and perspective of historical events (Enan, 1979). Khaldun’s “New Science” Ibn Khaldun’s “new science” is interpreted as the science of human social organization, commonly interpreted as sociology. Khaldun stated that this science has “its own peculiar object -that is, human civilization and social organization that is, explaining the conditions that attach themselves to the essence of civilization, one after the other” (Khaldun, 1958, p. 77). From Khaldun’s perspective, civilization is the product of human interaction. Indeed, culture is not a thing in itself. The essential ability